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AL DIVISION SERIES: YANKEES v INDIANSOctober 6, 2007Jake WestbrookNEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Workout Day Q. First, as tough as this year's been for you, you got a chance to pitch in two clinching games for you guys. What would that mean if you guys are able to clinch it tomorrow with you out there? JAKE WESTBROOK: Well, it would mean a lot. It was exciting to be on the mound, you know, a couple Sundays ago against Oakland to clinch the division. It was a lot of fun to pitch in that game, and to pitch well. It meant a lot to me, and for the team and for the city of Cleveland. Q. How do things switch now that it comes here? JAKE WESTBROOK: Well, I mean, the home-field advantage is huge. You saw that in Cleveland, you know, with our home fans. And I think it's definitely going to be different pitching here in Yankee Stadium. But it's one of those things that you've got to go out there and be prepared and treat it like any other game. I know it's going to be tough, but it's something we need to do. Q. Can you talk a little bit about your days in the Yankee organization, and what you remember about your time here being on the team? JAKE WESTBROOK: Well, it was good. It was good. I didn't spend too much time, like three-fourths of the year in 2000. And made my Major League debut here. Definitely didn't pitch as well as I would have liked and I'm sure as well as the Yankees would have liked me to pitch. But it was still an experience that I'll never forget, and something that I've learned from. Q. The Yankees offense has obviously struggled in the first two games. How do you go in, because obviously during the season they did much better? JAKE WESTBROOK: Well, just because they've struggled the first two ballgames doesn't mean that they aren't a good hitting team. They're a very good hitting team. Best in baseball. It's my job to know to go out there and pitch my game and try to continue that trend. Q. Obviously, the Yankees did trade you away. Is it kind of ironic that now you have a chance to put them away? JAKE WESTBROOK: Well, I mean, it's a good opportunity for me to pitch in the playoffs. I'm excited about that first and foremost. You know, hopefully I can give the team a chance to win. The same approach I've had all year, go out there and give the team a chance to win the ballgame, and hopefully, we can come out on top. Q. Looking at the youth on the Indians, is this team poised where it can put together a run of four, five straight years in the postseason? JAKE WESTBROOK: I definitely think so. And I think with the pitching we have and just our core offensive guys. You look at Victor and Hafner and Grady, you know, Jhonny P, and Garko and those type guys. And then look at the starting pitching that we have. And I think that combination of pitching and the way we've stepped it up defensively. I think if we continue to put together solid years that we have collectively, I think we could definitely put together a string of four or five years, as you said. Q. Did you learn anything extra that you can use tomorrow from watching C.C. and Fausto the last two nights? JAKE WESTBROOK: Oh, yeah, definitely. Just kind of the way they handled everything. I know C.C.'s made one start in 2001, but just kind of the way they handled their emotions the first two ballgames. Kind of use that to my advantage here in Yankee Stadium. Hopefully I can take a little bit from that and learn how to control my emotions for tomorrow's ballgame. Q. You had talked after one of your recent starts that hoping that having thrown fewer innings that might help you this time of the year. Can you feel that? Do you have a sense of how that's affecting you? JAKE WESTBROOK: Well, it's probably 50 less innings than I have pitched the last three seasons, so my arm feels strong. My body feels strong. And hopefully that correlates to a good ballgame for me and the team. End of FastScripts |
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